I ordered a bowl of red oil liangpi at the service counter and took the meal ticket to sit opposite Old Ghost. "Sometimes I really like your persistent presence, but when you're useless at crucial moments, I find it annoying."
Old Ghost, gasping from the spiciness, looked at me displeased. "I should be the one saying that."
"What did you say? All you talk about is finding the Long-Tongued Ghost, and it's been so long, we haven't even seen a shadow of him. You eat and eat all day, why don't you just eat yourself to death?"
I was being temperamental, but Old Ghost didn't get angry. He stared at me and said, "I had a mouthful of knives this morning."
"Do you know I was outmaneuvered? That X driver from 'Logical Paradox' used my identity to escape openly. Aren't you omniscient? Don't you say that nothing in this world belongs to me, and everything in this world can be used by me? Tell me how to catch this X driver."
Hearing my question, Old Ghost straightened his back. I thought he was about to speak, but he patted his belly. "I'm still a bit short. I'll go get another roujiamo."
I was so angry I didn't know what to say. I could only yell, "Bring my liangpi, number 42."
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...
Old Ghost brought the liangpi over and placed it in front of me, happily eating his roujiamo. I took a few bites of the red oil liangpi, feeling both spicy and irritable. I pushed it aside and asked Old Ghost seriously, "Are you really not going to give me any advice?"
"You're too high-profile. Your schemes are flashy but lack substance, making it easy for others to find flaws, cut off your hands, and silence you."
Flaws were found? I didn't think so. Did the other party exploit my flaws? Not at all. This strategist named X driver and I are not on the same level. He's an eagle soaring in the sky, looking down at me, an ant, and then crushing me.
Flashy and unsubstantial, don't be ridiculous. Not to mention the distant past, just recently, I successfully foiled the elderly folks' scam, preventing their money from falling into the hands of swindlers. Is that flashy and unsubstantial? That's pretty substantial!
"Not convinced?"
Old Ghost looked at me, not baring his teeth, but with a smile full of amusement.
"Convinced. In the world of strategists, how could I dare to not be convinced by you, an old ghost? Whatever you say is right? You are the truth, unshakable."
"This doesn't sound convinced. Let me tell you directly, your being used by X driver was all within my predictions. I've done a lot of investigation since coming to Xi'an, and I intended to deal with him. But I discovered that someone had already gotten there first, and they used a scheme that truly impressed me."
Old Ghost's words immediately piqued my interest. "Who? What scheme?"
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"I can't say, or it won't work."
"You, a strategist, are acting like a fortune teller. So you mean I won't be able to find out today no matter what?"
"Exactly!"
I was furious. I wolfed down the extremely spicy liangpi in a few bites, looked at Old Ghost, and asked seriously, "Are you full yet?"
"Almost."
Hearing Old Ghost say that, a smile curved my lips. "Boss, two more bowls of red oil liangpi, the spiciest!"
Old Ghost looked at me in confusion. I went to pay and placed the meal ticket in front of Old Ghost. "Waste is a sin. People who love to eat don't waste food, do they?"
"For me?"
"Yes. If you don't want to talk, just stuff your mouth. I'll make you eat until you burst!"
Old Ghost burst into laughter and patted his belly. "Thank you for the treat."
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...
I left Old Ghost and prepared to return to the Lin family. Logically, after X driver used the 'lizard shedding its tail' tactic, he shouldn't show himself for a while. Without X driver, I would have no reason to stay in Xi'an any longer.
However, Old Ghost said there was a scheme here that even impressed him. This truly ignited my fighting spirit. I considered my own schemes to be ingenious, but in Old Ghost's eyes, they were flashy and unsubstantial. What kind of scheme could impress Old Ghost? I had to see it. Therefore, after I return to the Lin family this time, I need to find a reason to stay in Xi'an, so I can understand what scheme Old Ghost was talking about.
But what reason could I use?
I couldn't exactly approach them with a fawning expression and say, "Actually, I'd quite like to be your Lin family's son-in-law." That would be a betrayal of Lin Han. Absolutely not. How about telling Grandpa that our grandfather-grandson bond is deep, and I want to stay in Xi'an? Couldn't you pretend to be oblivious and let me stay? Would the old man agree? There would be conditions, wouldn't there? As long as it's not marrying Lin Han, I'll agree to anything. No, I shouldn't be so absolute. I need to leave myself an escape route. If Grandpa's path doesn't work, I'll have to find a way through General Manager Lin. The task is completed, and I don't want to be the Lin family's son-in-law, so it's a bit difficult with General Manager Lin as well.
Never mind, I'll play it by ear!
Everything can be a scheme, but sometimes groundless speculation is not advisable. Once I get to the Lin family, I'll play it by ear, set up a proper plan, and skillfully arrange to stay in Xi'an.
I'm confident about this.
...
I arrived at the Lin family's residence and knocked on the door...
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*Ding dong*
I knocked again...
Is no one home?
Since I came to Xi'an, I haven't really seen anyone. I called Lin Han, and her voice was a little tearful. "Grandpa fell down the stairs and is being rushed to the hospital now."
"Which hospital... Alright, I'll be there immediately."
...
Grandpa fell down the stairs. How could this old man be so careless! I rushed to get a taxi to the hospital, filled with worry. Since coming to Xi'an, Lin Zhijun hadn't left a deep impression on me. Instead, I genuinely admired Grandpa, that old fox who, despite being sharp and clear-headed, pretended to be confused because of his age. My own grandfather passed away early, so I didn't have much experience living with the elderly. Since arriving in Xi'an, this Grandpa had inexplicably entered my heart. After I cracked the elderly scam, seeing him enjoying a drink with a leisurely smile was like a frozen image, forever stored in my memory.
The elderly are prone to falls, and he fell down the stairs. Grandpa, please don't let anything happen to you!
...
I arrived at the hospital and hurried to the operating area of the emergency room. When I got there, I saw Lin Han sobbing uncontrollably in her mother's arms. My heart sank. I rushed over in three steps and asked softly, "How is Grandpa?"
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Lin Han didn't speak, and her crying intensified. Lin's mother sighed deeply. "The old man is gone!"
Hearing this news, my head buzzed. I didn't know what to say, and felt tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"The old man hasn't gone far. You can go see him one last time."
...
When I found them, Grandpa had already been covered with a white sheet. To my surprise, Grandma was trembling with pain, like a withered branch in a cold wind. She didn't cry, but she expressed the pain of losing her life partner with every fiber of her being.
Lin Zhijun's eyes were filled with tears as he signed documents with the doctor. I walked up to him silently. Lin Zhijun said in a low voice, "He slipped down the stairs and broke his neck. Although he didn't die immediately, Father's age was too great, and he couldn't hold on."
"How could this happen?"
"Mother said he suddenly became confused, wouldn't listen, and was agitated and emotional, which led him to fall down the stairs."
Confused?
Grandpa wasn't confused. Didn't Grandma know that? This didn't feel right. If the old man had accidentally fallen down the stairs, I could understand it. But to say Grandpa fell because he was confused and agitated, how was that possible?
For a moment, I was utterly lost. Was something wrong with this matter? Should I speak out?
...
As I hesitated, I saw two police officers walk over. They spoke to Lin Zhijun with solemn expressions. "Mr. Lin, could we speak with you for a moment?"
Lin Zhijun looked surprised and walked aside with the officers, frowning as he listened. I watched from the side, wondering why the police were here. What was going on? Just as I was racking my brain, Lin Zhijun suddenly roared, "Nonsense! How is that possible? Who called the police? Have them come over, I want to question them myself!"
"Lin Zhijun, please cooperate with my work."
"Where is Director Lu? Have your Director Lu speak with me. If anyone dares to take my mother away today, I'll kill him."
I quickly walked over and grabbed the emotionally unstable Lin Zhijun, then asked the police, "What exactly is going on?"
"Someone reported that the death of Mr. Lin was not an accidental fall, but that Mrs. Lin pushed him down the stairs. We apologize, but the report came from someone who accidentally captured this photo while filming street scenes. The photo has been developed and sent to the police station." https:/
As the police told me this, I was also on the verge of losing control. Although I hadn't been at the Lin family for long, I could see from the way Grandpa and Grandma interacted that the old couple was very affectionate. At their age, they could still treat each other with respect. To have lived a lifetime together like this, only for the police to accuse one of murder, was unbearable.
There must be a motive for murder, right? They lived together their whole lives without incident, and at the end of their lives, one murdered the other. Novels wouldn't even dare to write something like this. Wasn't this a farce?
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"I'll go with them."
Grandma said seriously. Lin Zhijun's face was dark, and the intensity emanating from him was like a beast ready to devour anyone. Standing beside him, I felt a strange sense of danger. I had never realized that Lin Zhijun, the King of the Underground Palace, was such a formidable person.
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